The Games
by andrew.panek.52
Summary: A short story about a young tribute's experience in the 42nd Hunger Games


_ Snick_

It's almost surprising how loud it is when my sword pierces his heart. He doesn't even make a sound, he just looks surprised that I have managed to stab him through the heart. His eyes grow dim and he begins to sway. It's just my sword keeping him upright as he goes limp and his sword falls to the ground with a clang.

I've done it. I've won the games

* * *

The games had started out pretty typically. The plate I was standing on stopped as it pushed me into the harsh sun of the arena.

I could see almost half the other tributes, stationed around the golden cornucopia. We were in a clearing, surrounded on all sides by trees. I positioned myself to run as the last of the seconds ticked by.

When the gong went off, signaling the start of the games, I took off running towards the tree line. When I reached the woods, I jumped and pulled myself up a tree, close enough that I could see the cornucopia, but high enough that the leaves and branches could conceal me from a passing glance.

After about an hour, the fighting at the cornucopia peters out and the cannons start. _BOOM BOOM BOOM..._ I count 9 cannons, meaning that over a third of us are already dead. The ground is soaked with blood and littered with bodies.

I watch the career tributes from districts 1, 2, and 4 divvy up supplies from the cornucopia. There are only 5 of them, which surprises me until I remember that the boy from 4 had had a weak leg, probably from a childhood illness, and I assume that it put the odds out of his favor.

The career pack finishes organizing their supplies and heads out, presumably to hunt down the rest of us. I give them half an hour before I slowly climb down the tree and crouch behind a bush at the edge of the clearing.

I don't see anybody else around the clearing, so I dash out to the cornucopia and begin picking over what supplies are left. The careers took most of the good stuff, but I do manage to arm myself with a bow and a sheath of 12 arrows that they left behind, as well as two small daggers that I slide in my belt. I also find a pack that has some food, water, iodine tablets, a length of rope, and a box of matches, so I'm pretty lucky.

I slide the pack and sheath onto my back and head out into the woods.

I walk for several hours, hearing two cannons go off as I'm walking but not encountering a soul, until the sun starts to sink and my feet are sore. I climb a tree, as high as I dare, so I can view the rest of the arena.

My head pokes up above the tree line and I gaze at the arena. The forest stretches out as far as my eye can see. There are small clearings interspersed between the trees that I can see, but I can't tell what's in them. I watch as the sun sinks below the mountains that seem to ring the arena.

I climb down the tree a little ways and position myself on a wide branch to sleep. Using the rope, I tie myself to the branch and trunk so I can't fall out while I'm sleeping.

Just as I finish securing myself, the Panem anthem begins to play and I look up in time to see the seal of Panem being replaced by a picture of a dead tribute. The pictures of the 11 fallen tributes flash across the sky, and then fade with the last few notes of the anthem.

The darkness surrounds me once more, and I close my eyes, ready for sleep to overcome me. As I drift off, I think of the 11 dead tributes, and of the 12 others who will be out for my blood.

The days pass with the same routine; I wake up, I walk for the better part of the day away from the center of the arena, I have a small dinner of the rations I have, I find a tree, and I watch the tributes in the sky before falling into a restless sleep.

* * *

I don't encounter anyone else, but over the next two days, 4 more tributes die, leaving 9 of us left.

I know the peace that I've been granted can't last, that sooner or later, the Capitol will send a trap, or mutts, or another tribute my way, but I'll enjoy my peace while it lasts.

* * *

It's the fourth day before I finally make a mistake.

I've been following a few turkeys through the woods, an arrow nocked in my bow, trying to get one to supplement my dwindling food supply.

They've stopped at a small stream and I'm hiding behind a bush, drawing back my arrow to fire when I hear a twig snap behind me.

I turn and see a boy standing about 40 yards away, a spear in hand and two more strapped to his back, arm pulled back to throw.

I don't have time to aim, I just fire at him and run, startling the turkeys as I burst out of my hiding place. I hear the arrow hit flesh and his grunt of pain as I run, but I quickly hear him running after me.

I'm not the fastest runner, and it's only a matter of time before he catches up to me, so my mind races through my options at lightning speed.

I see a tree with a low hanging branch and jump as I near it, catching it and pulling myself up. I can hear him crashing through the trees and I know I only have seconds as I scurry up the tree.

I look down when I'm a little ways off the ground and watch him come into view. I know he can see me, and I see the hatred in his eyes.

He comes closer to the tree and I notice more details about him. He's the male tribute from two, and for a moment I'm confused why he's alone when I remember that the careers only number 3 now. His district partner and the girl from 4 had died a few days ago, so the pack must have split up. In addition to his 3 spears, the boy has a short sword sheathed on his belt, and a bag on his back which appears to be full of supplies. He's also limping, and I notice blood trickling from a wound in his leg. My arrow must've caught him in the thigh and slowed him down when he pulled it out, which is probably the only reason I'm still alive.

All this flashes through my mind in an instant as I nock an arrow and he pulls his arm back to throw the spear.

For a moment we both stay like this, ready to kill the other, just waiting for the right moment. Suddenly we hear the _BOOM_ of a cannon, and he glances around for a second before looking back at me.

He looks back in time to see my arrow sink into his flesh between his neck and collarbone.

He is dead, but he hasn't seemed to have realized that yet as he throws his spear.

I manage to dodge out of it's way, but become unbalanced. I cry out as I tumble backwards off the branch and fall to the ground with a sickening _thud_.

I feel my ankle cry out in pain as I land and know that it is at least twisted, if not outright broken. I lie there, helpless, and wait for the other boy to finish me.

After a moment, I sit up painfully and look at the other boy. He has collapsed, but seems to still be conscious. I slowly crawl towards and flip him onto his back. He moans in pain at the moment, then locks eyes with me.

"Please" he whispers, spitting up a little blood in the process. "Finish- me" he manages to choke out, pain and defeat clear in his eyes.

I nod and take out one of my daggers. I lock eyes with him one last time, dagger raised over his heart. I plunge the dagger down, stabbing him through the heart.

His cannon fires as the light leaves his eyes.

I sit back against the tree trunk, stunned at how easy it was for me to take the boy's life. Nothing in the world could have prepared me for how easy it was to strike the blow that snuffed out his life like a candle in the wind. I close my eyes and see his face branded on the inside of my eyelids. I jerk them open and know that he will be with me forever.

I sit there until the whine of a hovercraft fills the air.

I crawl to him and take his pack off his body, then detach his sword's sheath. I leave the spears with him, knowing they will be taken with the body.

I stumble away and turn back in time to see his body raising into the air, supported by the metal claw the hovercraft deployed.

I watch as his body is engulfed by the hovercraft, then turn and head into the woods. I don't go far before climbing a tree and securing myself, even though it isn't close to night yet. I go through his pack and remove some food, more iodine tablets, and some matches. There's also several spear heads, but I stop when I feel a small round object.

I pull it out and find myself looking at a small flat gray rock. I'm not sure why it's in the pack until I turn it over and see a poem carved into it. It must've been his district token. I stare at it, not reading the poem, until another cannon blast startles me. I put the rock into my pocket and finish searching his pack.

After removing what I need, I climb the tree a bit higher and secure the pack to a high branch so no one else can find it or the weapons it contains.

I climb back down in the dimming light and watch as 3 more tributes flash through the sky. The girl from 1, the boy from 2 I killed, and a girl from 11 flash through the sky and then disappear forever.

I lean back, and close my eyes, but know that sleep will elude me tonight.

* * *

The afternoon of the 6th day, I make it to my goal as the mountains loom above me. I begin to climb until I'm above the tree line and the sun is sinking.

I manage to find a small concealed cave, and sit at the entrance to watch the tributes flash through the sky. There are only 3 of us left now, and I know the game makers will be trying to bring us together soon.

I crawl back into the cave and manage to fall asleep, the first time I've been able to since I killed the boy from 2. This morning, I got up at dawn and buried his district token at the base of the tree and carved a rough 2 into the tree bark above it. It made me feel better, as though I had given him a proper burial.

A few hours later, I'm startled awake by the _BOOM_ of a cannon. I look around wildly, before realizing that the cannon means that we're down to the last two tributes.

I move to the cave entrance and see the sky lightening, signaling the start off the new day. Figuring now is as good a time as any, I gather my stuff and begin hiking down the mountain.

I walk a few hours back towards the cornucopia, figuring it's where the Capitol wants us to be for the final duel. As I walk, the sky lightens considerably until the sun is clearly visible.

I'm passing a small clearing when I hear a twig snap. I turn towards the clearing and see the other tribute, the boy from 1, entering with his sword drawn. One glance and I can tell he sees me. He doesn't have anything else on him, no pack or anything, and he charges at me, sword raised.

I know I wont have time to fire an arrow, so I drop my pack, bow, and arrows before drawing my sword. I stand with my sword raised, and wait for him to close the distance between us.

Our swords connect in a deafening clang of metal and we lock eyes. I see death in his; He will not let me win; He will kill me; He will be the victor.

I realize only two things can happen now. I can live. Or I can die.

I stare into his eyes for one last second and choose.

I choose to live.

* * *

His cannon sounds with a _BOOM_ that startles me.

I remove my sword from his body, and stand back as he falls to the ground in front of me.

I hear a fanfare of trumpets, then Claudius Templesmith's voice, but I can't make out the words. All I can do is hear the sound my sword made when it struck his deathblow. My sword falls from my hand and I dully register the sound of it hitting the ground. All I can see is the boy from 2 falling to my arrow.

I fall to my knees as a hovercraft materializes above me, lowering the ladder to take me out of the arena.

I have won.

I am the last tribute standing.

I am the victor of the 42nd Hunger Games.


End file.
